Automatic adjustable rail brace



Oct. 23, 1951 A. R. SCHULZE 2,572,769

- AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACE I Filed Aug. 12, 1949 2 swans-swam 1'FIE-1 I jnventoi': v flETf/Z/E' E. ECHULZE,

O 1951 A. R. SCHULZE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACE 2 SHEETSSHEET 2Filed Aug. 12, 1949 FIEE- if Inventor:

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Patented Oct. 23,. 1951 I 2,572,769 AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACEArthur R. Schulze, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to United States SteelCompany, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 12, 1949, SerialNo. 109,980

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an automatic adjustable rail brace and is acontinuation-in-part of my oopending application, Serial No. 5,920,filed February 3,1948, which has matured into Patent No. 2,525,185,dated October 10, 1950.

' In adjustable rail braces most commonly used at present, the lockingmeans are either horizontal or vertical threaded bolts and/or cotterpins. Adjustment requires loosening or removing the nuts from the boltsor removing the cotter pins. The bolts are frequently corroded with thenuts seized on the bolts. Loosening or removal then causes damage whichrequires the replacement of either the nut or the nut and bolt. Cotterpins must necessarily be replaced. An adjustable rail brace is one inwhich means are provided for maintaining the brace in tight engagementwith the rail as wear and corrosion of the parts occur.

It is an object of my invention to provide a rail brace which isautomatically adjustable.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referringtothefollowing specification and attached drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-1II of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view, partly in section, showing the wedge in retractedposition;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the reference numeral 2indicates a tie plate which is provided with a seat 4 for the rail 6.Spaced from the rail at one side thereof, is a longitudinal stop 8 whichis welded or otherwise fastened to the tie plate 2. The stop 8 isarranged at an angle to the center line of the rail 6 as best shown inFigure 1. An adjustable brace I8 has one end contacting the head of therail as shown in Figure 2, and the other end resting on a Wedge l2. Theend I4 of the brace I 8, which fits under the railhead, is curved asshown and the lower end I6 is also curvedand rests in a curved pocket[-8 in the wedge l2. An inverted U-shaped member 28 is fastened to thetop of the stop 8 by means of bolts 22 which pass through flanges 24 ofthe U-shaped member. The under surface 26 of the member 28 is arrangedat an angle as shown in Figure 2, which angle is greater than the angleof the rail base. Because of this angle, the spring clip 28 is alwaysurged toward the center line of the rail. A spring clip 28 passesthrough the opening in the U- shaped member 20 and through an opening 38in the brace I8. One end of the clip 23 bears on the base of the railand the other end is received' in a slot 32 in the tie plate 2. Alongitudinal opening 34 extends substantially throughout the length ofthe wedge l2. A hole 3 6 extends from the outside of the narrow end ofthe wedge to the opening 34, the hole 36 being considerably smaller insection than the opening 34, so that a shoulder 38 is provided. Weldedto the tie plate 2 within the opening 34 is a stop lug 48 having a slot42 in the upper end thereof which is provided with a counterboredportion 44. This counterbored portion, provides a transverse abutmentwhich serves as a bearing for a spring cone 46. A spring 48 extends fromthe abutment 38 to the spring cone 46.

The device is assembled and functions as follows:

A bolt 58 is passed through the hole 36 and the coil spring 48 and isthreaded into the spring cone 46 with the bolt head bearing against theforward end of the wedge so that the spring is compressed as shown inFigures 1 and 4. The adjustable brace 18 is then placed with its top endI4 bearing against the head of the rail and its lower end I6 in thegroove l8. The spring clip 28 is then placed in position with theinverted U-shaped member 28 thereover. The bolt 58 is then removed,permitting the spring 48 to expand between the spring cone 46 andabutment 38, thus urging the wedge l2 away from the stop lug 48. Thismovement of the wedge forces the rail brace l8 against the rail, sincethe rail brace cannot move longitudinally because of the contact of thespring clip 28 with the sides of opening 38. However, transversemovement of the brace I8 is permitted since the width of the opening 38is greater than the space occupied by clip 28. The thrust line '52 ofthe brace l8 between the rail 6 and the wedge I 2 is within the basewidth of the Wedge so that there is no tendency for the wedge tooverturn. The end of the spring clip in conjunction with the groove 32retains the spring clip at right angles to the rail. When a train passesover the rail 6 vibration occurs and during this time the spring 48 willforce the wedge I2 longitudinally in the direction of the narrow widththereof, thus automatically adjusting the rail brace.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, the spring clip 28 iseliminated, but the wedge I2, stop 8, the spring 48 and associated partsare the 3 same. However, the brace is replaced by a brace 54 having asubstantially horizontal portion 56 thereon. A hole 58 is provided inthis horizontal portion 56. The top portion 60 of the brace 54 isrounded and rests against the railhead. The bottom end 62 of the brace54 is also rounded and rests in the groove l8 on the wedge. The brace 54is provided with spaced apart ribs 63, each of which has its bottomportion 64 shaped to conform to the top of the base of the rail. A bolt66' passes through the tie plate nal opening bearing against both ofsaid abutments to urge the wedge longitudinally in the direction of itsnarrow end, and hold down means for holding said rail on said tie plate.

2. An automatic adjustable rail bracing device according to claim 1 inwhich the means for limiting longitudinal movement of the brace and thehold down means for holding the rail on said tie plate includes aninverted U member fastened to said stop, the underside of said invertedU member sloping downwardly away from the rail 2 and the hole 58 in thebrace 54. ,A cotter pin.

68 passes through openingsin the bolt 66 and nut 10 to hold the nutspaced from the brace 54. The brace is assembled and functions insubstantially the same manner as that of the first embodiment. 4

While two embodiments "of my invention have been shown and described, itis apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic adjustable rail bracing-device comprising a tie platehaving a seat portion for the base of the rail, a stop member fastenedto the tie plate and spaced from said rail, an adjustable brace bearingagainst the rail and extending in the direction of the stop member fromthe rail toward the tie plate, means for limiting longitudinal movementof the brace, means for limiting vertical movement of the brace, saidstop member and brace being separated to provide a space therebetweenwhich is wider at one end than at the other, a wedge in said spacebearing against said stop member and against said brace to hold thebrace against said rail, said brace having its lower end resting on saidwedge and its upper end beneath the rail head whereby vertical movementof the wedge is limited, said wedge having a longitudinal downwardlyfacing opening therein terminating in a transverse abutment adjacent thenarrow end, a relatively stationary transverse abutment in said spaceadjacent the wide end thereof, and a spring in said longitudito form anabutment, said brace havin an opening therein adjacent its lower end,and a spring clip extending through the inverted U member and bearingagainst said abutment with one end bearing on the base of the rail andthe other end bearing on the tie plate, the width of the opening in thebrace being substantially the same as the width of the clip. 7

3. An automatic adjustable rail bracing device according to claim 1 inwhich the means for limiting longitudinal movement of the brace andzontal portion.

ARTHUR R. SCHULZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 985,882 Barnett Mar. 7, 19111,227,853 Stull May 29, 1917 1,303,824 Senical May 13, 1919 2,385,032Scholes Sept. 18, 1945 2,449,260 Vickroy Sept. 14, 1948

